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Think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Friday that new challenges and opportunities posed by increased access to the Arctic were discussed at a workshop in Beijing entitled ‘Chinese and Nordic Cooperation on Arctic Developments’.

Chinese Arctic specialists now refer to China as a 'near-Arctic state' and at the workshop the term 'stakeholder' was also used. The Chinese government has recently increased investment in Arctic research and commissioned a second Arctic ice-breaker.

Last month Sweden supported China's bid to become a permanent observer at the eight-member Arctic Council.

"We hope to work together with relevant countries, including Iceland and Sweden, to contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development in the Arctic," China's Deputy Foreign Minister Song Tao told a press briefing. "China applauds Swedish support for [us] to be an observer to the Arctic Council."

China argues that the implications of the changing Arctic environment are both global and regional, and therefore views its participation in Arctic governance as justified.

The workshop was organized by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the China Center for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS).